13 Ways To Get Your Spiritual Groove Back

Yes, I have fallen off the blogger planet.  Yes I stopped posting.

Where do I even start?  Where do I begin.

Do I write an introduction as to why I fell off the planet?

Or do I just start blogging as if I never disappeared?  Though that might be weird.

I feel that I owe it to you guys to fess up.  To let you know where I have been hiding.

Well, In a nutshell…

I left my 12 year fashion career as a women's fashion designer to pursue Health and Wellness.  I went back to school at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition and got a Certification in Health Coaching specializing in Nutrition, Holistic Health, the Gluten-free Diet, Celiac Disease and Vitamin Deficiencies-which was by the way an awesome life changing experience!  I just graduated in the beginning of July, 2014.

I am currently working with a web designer to transform and expand Goodie Goodie Gluten-free on an awesome Wordpress website.  Goodie Goodie Gluten-free is getting a whole new glam look!  And I am super excited.  The site will launch in the Fall.  I can't wait!!

I have become quite spiritual and learned all about yoga, meditation, health Podcasts, self care and my favorite: Gratitude Journals (which I'll explain a little later on).

This is Katie Dalebout's Podcast Series that can be downloaded on iTunes for Free.

Best interviews on some of my favorite health and wellness professionals.

Her show is called Wellness Wonderland.

Mmmm.  Clean eating at is best and of course in style!  Sauteed peppers and onions serves as a nutritional healthy snack.

I have diet hopped from a gluten-free processed diet of sugar, cupcakes and junk to gluten-free clean eating lifestyle, to the Paleo Diet and now to a Balanced Clean Eating, Gluten-free lifestyle and I have been working with a slew of medical doctors to figure out what is medically wrong with me since July 2012.  It's been rough while at the same time a HUGE learning experience.

I have experienced Anemia, Vitamin deficiencies, a full body absorption problem, inflammation almost everywhere, crazy rashes, cystic acne, hair loss (which is still and was terrible), facial and throat numbing with 80 percent of what I eat causes facial, throat and tongue numbing on the left side of my face; yet the cause is not from food allergies, cat scans on my sinuses, a brain scan, leaky gut, an endoscopy, environmental allergies, Eczema, drastic weight loss (almost 15 pounds), Acid reflux, food sensitivities (to way to many foods), Adult Asthma (that I'm not sure is even asthma), chronic fatigue, long bouts of Strep Throat, swollen glands, stomach viruses, random Flu like viruses, Ankle tendonitis (twice), horrific headaches, stomach issues (to say the least), dreadfully long periods (10 days!) and so much more!

I have been under the care of Neurologist, an Immunologist, an Allergist, 2 Integrative Functional Medical Doctors, an Endocrinologist, a Specialist Gynecologist, a Gastroenterologist, 3 Dermatologists, 3 Hair Doctors, a Trichologist, a ENT doctor, a General Internist, an Orthopedist even a Homeopathic doctor and more all since August 2012.  Though in August 2012 it started out slow.  I had an Endocrinologist and a Specialist Gynecologist.  By the time January 2013 approached my doctor roster had doubled and shit really started to hit the fan in June of 2013.  After June 2013 my doctor roster along with my medical mystery symptoms and ailments had quadrupled.  And my medical problems really escalated.  A whopping two years of doctors.  My week looks like 3-4 doctors appointments plus working and school.  The blog had to take a backseat.  The Anemia started back July 2012 and that is really what triggered this crazy journey.  Wow, that was even a lot for me to write!  I'm sweating over here.  Haha, just kidding...I have been misdiagnosed, told I needed a Psychiatrist, and overall completely misunderstood since August 2012.

Just when I thought one medical issue was horrific the next one following was and is so much worse.  I honestly thought I would crawl under a rock when my hair started falling out.  There were days I sat and cried in my apartment.  Actually pretty much all of Summer 2013 was me crying in my apartment over my hair loss.  I just didn't know what was happening.  And the stress that went along with these health issues was enormous! I was gluten-free 100 percent-I followed all the rules, and I couldn't understand why me, why now.

This is me in early March 2014

 (My awesome and super fun Birthday Celebration),

 with the hair piece colored blonde.

It started to look funny with my real genuine hair 

that was actually going gray on top

So I had my stylist re-color the piece to match my natural brown roots.

As you can see below there is a mix of gray, blonde and brown.

I have the ombre thing going…

And I'm embracing it!

This picture was taken early July 2014, and as you can see

I did loose more hair

And you can see the gray

And you can kinda see the two toned look

And what is my hair and what isn't.

Like I said, I'm embracing it!

This is what a Halo looks like.  

It's real hair attached to a string and colored to match my hair,
Although this was color matching when I was still blonde!
I haven't colored my hair in 1 year and 3 months!

Lucky for me I met this amazing WIG MAKER through a friend of a friend who made not only custom wigs, which I didn't need, but Halo's which is real hair sewn to an invisible elastic string and worn sort of like an invisible headband.  You would never know I was wearing partially fake hair.  It took me a long time to bite the Halo hair bullet.  Getting diagnosed with a non-permanent form of Alopecia in June 2013 and realizing that my hair was really going to take 3 years to grow back like the hair doctors said, was a tough pill to swallow.  But I am so grateful for people like Merria Dearman who create hair as an art and do it well.  Because the fears that were going through my mind were stopping me from living.  Well I was letting these fears stop me with tormenting thoughts like…"Who is going to want to date me, my hair is falling out." or "I can't blog now, I have so many issues" or How am I going to be a Health Coach with my hair, my acne, my _________."

My fears were getting the best of me, holding me back.  You see, I have always preached that once you go gluten-free, you are set for life, never to deal with ugly Celiac Disease again and onward to the life you are meant to enjoy in sweet perfection.

But this thinking of mine was oh.  so.  wrong.  The truth is, is that going gluten-free is not always the ONLY answer.  It's only part of the equation.

So instead of blogging, I completely retreated.

I'm sure If I had blogged, all you Celiac's and Gluten-freebee's out there may have related.  And perhaps I could have inspired some of you, or maybe some of you may have felt less alone.  I have laughed and cried all off my blog.

So where have I been?

In all honesty,

I have been afraid.

I have been afraid to post my life, because of all my crazy health shit.

I think I had every excuse in the book to not move forward.

And that sent me backwards!

I vowed that by Summer of 2014 all of this, all of me would be healed and I would go back to normal and enjoy my Summer.  And I thought…when I'm all better I'll start blogging again.  I thought I'd save all my recipes, creative cooking and funny stories for when all of 'this' went away.  Well.  That didn't happen.

The latest medical mystery of all?  80 percent of what I eat makes the left side of my face, throat and tongue completely numb.  Like scary numb.  I lived on Benadryl at first because we didn't know what it was.  I thought it was an allergy.  Imagine that diet!  It's clean eating with some serious restrictions and this is what I am currently dealing with on top of everything else, because I haven't healed yet, not even close.  At first I was hysterical.  I would stay up late at night trying to figure out how to fix this, try and figure out why it was happening, making game plans and to do lists to conquer this.  But guess what?  I'm human and I can't conquer it alone.  Nope.  Can't.  Totally tried.  For months and months and months and MONTHS.  Made myself nuts.  Rid myself with crazy anxiety to the point that I wasn't sleeping at all.  All to realize I had no choice but to let this go, and work with what I have got.  We are still trying to figure this out.  Currently I work with a new amazing Integrative Functional Medical Doctor, a Homeopath and an Endocrinologist and we are taking this step by step, clean meal by clean meal.

I realize Perfection does not exist and we are all on some sort of journey.  And a Journey is not a destination, nor is happiness.  We have to create what we want and take action to get it and even that is part of the journey.  Without our stories, our struggles, we wouldn't be who we are, or even where we are today at this very moment with the good and with the bad.

While most would keep this to themselves as I have, I have realized that by keeping this to myself, I am not only dis-servicing myself, but you guys as well.  I know that I love to read other's stories and I'm sure you do too.  Where they were before they got here, and how they got "here" (whatever "here" means).  What sort of pain and happiness did they have to go through to make them who they are.  I would look for these stories because they would inspire me, cheer me on and make me realize I'm not alone.

But my blog?  My story?  What I'm about and why I believe what I believe?  Why I am who I am today?  Where my journey has lead me?  Over a year ago I took down my "About Me" section because I felt my story was just too complicated.  I am now re-writing it and it will soon be posted.

My Physical Therapist tells me I am the most cheerful person she has ever met with medical problems.  And she sees me twice a week!  So she knows what she is talking about.  Serious accuracy.  Totally Legit.

I still LOVE to cook and bake.  I just do it differently now.  It's always a challenge, but creativity is my gift.  It's what I can give to the world effortlessly.  Not many people can do or say that, so I feel it is important for me to pay that forward.  I also love to read about health and wellness, holistic health, remedies, recipes of all kinds, different diets especially gluten-free and clean eating.  I love color, music, sequins, designing anything, vampires, music, sunshine, warm weather and so much more.  And despite all of this happening, I still love all of those things.  So that is what is portrayed on my social media.  It's me.  No holes barred.  Real.  Genuine.  Me.

Instead of blogging, I have been using social media as an outlet to keep things going.  Because even during all of this crazy stuff, I am still a health and wellness lover and warrior.  Going to the best kick ass school-The Institute For Integrative Nutrition was my knight in shining armor!  Had I not had the support of the most amazing school, had I not had that school to look forward too, I don't think I would have been able to deal with all of this as well as I did.  And that is saying a whole lot! I graduated with straight A's and was determined to not let my health issues get in the way.

My Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook feeds have been constantly hopping.

I love posting creative concoctions and peeks of my daily life on Instagram.  Curious?  Follow me there!  I'm @GoodiegoodieGF.

Twitter has been my outlet for awesome articles from various other bloggers and websites like Mind Body Green, Nitika Chopra, David Wolfe, Jenny Sansouci, Wellness Wonderland, Gabby Bernstein, Kris Carr, Go Sweet and Skinny, The Healthy Apple , The Balanced Blonde, formally known as The Blonde Vegan, The Bach Book and (many, many more), with my humorous sidekick tweets.  Curious?  Wanna see why I love health and wellnesss so much?  Follow me on Twitter @GoodieGoodiegf

Pinterest is a PLETHORA of good vibes, positivity, amazing recipes, and rocking quotes.  I can't get enough of Pinterest.  Interested in my creative pins on cooking, baking, Paleo, Gluten-free, cakes, cookies, easy gluten-free nosh, desserts, home decor, holidays, fashion, summer BBQs and more? Follow me at Goodiegoodiegf

And Facebook for a little bit of everything.  Currently just my personal page (and soon to be launching a GoodieGoodiegf page).

So here we are, another years past and it's the Summer of 2014.  It's time to conquer fears and move forward.  I have used a lot of skills I learned at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition and I am going to share these amazing simple secrets with you!  These are the kinds of things that you wouldn't think would HOLD THE POWER that they actually hold!  And Anyone can do these.

Some of my favorites are:

Gratitude Journals-These little books are the bomb!  I got mine at Barnes and Noble.  It's a little orange book that says Gratitude on it and inside are lined blank pages where you write 3 things per day that you are grateful for.  There are no rules for this book, no one sees it but you!

Bedside Dream Journals-Never underestimate these amazing books!  They unlock your subconscious and tap into places you didn't even know existed further helping you deal with your everyday life and finding solutions to problems.  The trick is to immediately write down your dream in full detail the moment you wake up!  Way before you grab your morning coffee.  Why?  Because you remember the most upon first awakening.  Jot down everything from colors to places to scents and scenes.

Inspiration Boards totally rock my world, which go hand in hand with Vision Boards.  An inspiration board is simply a foam board where you pin or tape all things from magazines, Pinterest, souvenirs from your life onto this board.  It's something fun and pretty to look at and since you created it, it's homemade functional art.  It serves a purpose.  That is, to inspire.

Vision Boards are similar but instead of putting things on it that inspire, you put things on it that you want.  What you want your life, love life, career, house etc to look like.  You have to be really sure about what you want, because what you put on this Vision board is a way for the Universe to see what you are asking for and actually give it to you.  It's very spiritual to put your life in the hands of the Universe.  And trust that what you put out there you will get in return.  It's a Law of Attraction kind of thinking, like what you put out into the Universe you get right back.  And a vision board also serves a purpose.  It's showing the world and you in case you have doubts your vision for what you want out of life.

Mediation-ah I love.  It's a practice and needs to be done often to reap any benefits.  But to just sit in a safe space and deeply relax is the ultimate gift.  Its a place inside yourself where you can really get to know what you need.  Start with classes on this activity.  And you can even create a safe space in your home or apartment.  A small area designated to be your meditation station.  In that space you can add a comfy pillow to sit on, an array of your favorite books and magazines and anything inspirational you may want to sit with when you are having a meditation moment, some relaxation time, down time or even a bad day.  Fill that area with stuff you love!

This is my space.  I have my inspiration board, a few buddha's and my favorite books

There is my Buddha snow globe, a smaller Buddha, 

a Ganesha and a magnet with an awesome quote that makes me happy.

Yoga is something I absolutely live for!  And there are a few reasons.  1.  It's relaxing.  Sometimes you don't even realize all the stress you are carrying until you stretch it out.  It's like the ultimate release.  It's better then a massage, because you are the one working the stresses out.  And often an hour of yoga solves so many problems that are going on in your world.  2.  It balances stress levels.  3.  Helps period cramps.  4.  Is totally relaxing.  5.  Builds your muscles and tones your body.  6. Gets rid of toxins by sweating.  7.  It ultimately gets you so much closer to the inner you and 8.  You literally leave the yoga studio like you are walking on clouds.

Exercise-this can be done in conjunction with Yoga.  Has similar effects to yoga but is more energizing then zen relaxation like Yoga.  Exercise is a great way to get anger out or frustrated emotions.  Same with yoga, but it's a different kind of Adrenaline. Exercising feels like a rush.  It also rids toxins quickly, tones your body, gets your sweat on and gives you confidence.

Clean eating-Seriously such a big one!  You are what you eat.  You can't have all the energy in the world if you are eating fast food, tons of sugar, bad fats as opposed to good fats, processed junk and ingredients you can't even understand.

Chia Seed Pudding with Baked Green Apples

Fresh Salmon with Snap Peas, Bok Choy, Coconut Aminos and Garlic

Elimination Diets-Seriously eliminating sugar was the best thing I ever did.  Elimination diets are not forever, they are merely set in place to detox your body from toxins.  And when you do a detox diet or an elimination diet, as frustrating as it is in the beginning, you learn so much about your body.  You learn what you body can handle and what it can't.  You learn that you only have one body so you want to treat it right.  You learn that some foods are just not workable for your body despite it's "healthy" label or even it's junk food label.  And what's even more amazing is that when you finally learn to eliminate what's not OK for your particular body, mystery symptoms disappear. Taking charge of your body feels amazing!

Eliminating substances and alcohol-I'm not sure I even need to preach on this topic.  Just merely reducing your intake will improve your moods, your diet, your weight, your thoughts, your energy levels, your quality of sleep and your overall zest for life.  Learn to party sober.  It's kind of amazing!!

Listening to Music-I have always said life is better with music.  I swear it makes everything so much less stressful.  And it actually changes brain chemistry in a really good way.

Reading good books-Sometimes getting lost in someone else's story is a good thing.  It takes you away from obsessing on your own problems and promotes better sleep.  (Make sure its a real book or an old Kindle and not an iPad (that blue light will get your further into sleepless nights).

Listening to your body-When you start doing some of the things I mentioned above you will be able to be in tune with your body a lot more then before.  You will hear and see signs you didn't see before that you can now read differently and more effectively.  You will be able to make better decisions for your body and that is some sweet stuff!

Stay Nutritionally Awesome!!
xx Julie

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Interested in Health, Wellness and Nutrition?  

Check out The Institute For Integrative Nutrition